Does golf swing contribute excessive force to hip implant after THA?

Editor's Note

This Japanese study, for the first time, examined kinematics and kinetics of the hip joint during driver golf swings of patients who had a total hip arthroplasty (THA) and finds that the swings do not contribute excessive force to the implant.

The researchers recruited 10 primary THA patients and examined the characteristics of 3-D dynamics during their driver golf swings.

The swings produced about 20 to 30 degrees of rotation in both the lead and trail replaced hip (depending on the golfer’s stance), which is equivalent to normal hips.

The mean hip contact forces of lead and trail replaced hips were 5.1 and 6.7 times body weight, respectively. This is lower than the hip contact force exerted on implants while jogging at 6 to 8 km/hr.

Three factors—female sex, lower modified Harris Hip Score, and higher hip contact forces of the surgical side—were associated with replacement hip pain.

Hip contact forces could be reduced through swing adjustments, which may allow patients to develop a comfortable golf game free from pain, the researchers say.